Hello Bookish Temptations! Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know Merrick Rocha and Rachael DeSalvo from their introduction over at The Subclub, they would like to take you on a tour of Turtle Tear Island and Resort where they fell in love with the historic hotel and each other. I’ll turn it over to them!

Merrick: *standing in the grand entryway of Turtle Tear Hotel, Spanish murals decorate the walls around him* Hello. I’m Merrick and this is Rachael, the owner of Turtle Tear Resort.

Rachael: *irritated with Merrick* You don’t have to be so formal. Anyway, thanks for joining us here at Bookish Temptations. Turtle Tear Resort isn’t open to the public but when it is, we’ll be providing a free, all-inclusive vacation for two including airfare for Kelli to giveaway to one lucky reader on her blog.

Merrick: You love to give away vacations.

Rachael: I’m a giver. You’re a taker.

Merrick: I give. Look where you’re standing.

Rachael: *takes a deep breath* Riley!

Riley: *jogs down winding staircase* Right here.

Rachael: We have guests. Can you please take their bags to the last room on the second floor? You remember the one, right? Where my friend Shannon stayed when she was here.

Riley: *blushing* I know the one.

Rachael: I thought you might.

Merrick: *laughs* If you need help with all this luggage, ask Beck. Jesse goes in there with you and the two of you might never come back out.

Riley: *blushing furiously* Yes, sir.

Rachael: Let’s start in the lounge. Follow me. *walks down a hallway to the back of the hotel into a big room with tile floors, red, yellow and aqua blue Mexican rugs, brown leather sofas and a huge fireplace* This is where—

Merrick: *cuts in* We eat. Or actually, where we don’t get much eating done. Rach, remember that one time when you first got here—

Rachael: *holds up a hand to stop him* That’s so inappropriate to bring up right now.

Beck: *strolls in from the patio* Maybe I should give this tour. *folds arms, showing off tattooed bicep*

Joan: *appears beside Beck in her red sundress and skyscraper heels, flicks her blonde hair back over her shoulder* I’m more qualified to give this tour than all three of you put together.

Rachael: You have got to be kidding me. Do you know the story of Archibald Weston, the founder, and Ingrid Burkhart, his wife?

Joan: *mumbles Archibald and Ingrid, AW + IB* …is that who the stupid carving stands for? Why we had to salvage that heavy ass beam from the pool cloister?

Rachael: STUPID CARVING!?!

Merrick: I’m not sure how many reservations were getting out of this tour.

Rachael: Stupid carving?!?

Joan: You’re shocked, Rachael. We’ve established that.

Beck: *takes Joan by the shoulders and steers her back out the door* Please, continue. We’ll be out here if you need us.

Rachael: *dazed* Stupid… They were the founders. I mean… She’s just…

Merrick: Looks like I’m taking over. *ushers everyone out the huge wooden hacienda door onto the patio with mosaic tiles, black wrought iron tables and chairs, surrounded by a wrought iron fence* This fountain in the center of the patio is the jewel of the hotel. You’ll notice how the water spurts from the cock in the mermaid’s hand.

Beck: That’s conch, bud. Conch shell.

Merrick: *confused* Isn’t that what I said?

Beck: *releases a loud burst of laughter* No. That’s  not what you said.

Joan: This is a disaster. Why don’t I just get them brochures and we can let them walk around on their own?

Rachael: *steps outside* This day has been exhausting. I can’t even think straight. I’m going to find Kelli and have a drink at the bar.

Beck: That sounds like a plan!

Joan: I’ll stay here and keep my eye on Riley. He and Jesse have been insubordinate lately.

Rachael: Shame you can’t join us.

Merrick: I apologize for all of us. Things lately are—we have issues to work through. I’ll just leave you with some pictures and let you wander at your leisure. Enjoy your stay at Turtle Tear.

You can find more Turtle Tear and Taken inspiration photos on my Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/kellimaine/taken/ along with songs on the playlist and a cast of characters.
Taken and No Take Backs: A Taken Novella are available now, with Taken By Storm, Given and two more novellas to come, continuing Rachael and Merrick’s story.
And by the way, Turtle Tear isn’t a real place, so Rachael won’t be giving me a vacation for two to give away. Of course, if I hit the New York Times list, there’s no telling what I might do as a celebration giveaway on my blog! Hey- I’m a giver.
~~Kelli Maine

While not sitting at her laptop writing romance novels or procrastinating on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, Kelli Maine can be found avoiding laundry, waging war with a dishwasher, strategically planning her vacation requests to get the most time off, and convincing herself she doesn’t really want that dark chocolate Godiva bar.

Kelli loves hearing from readers! Find her on Twitter @KelliMaine, on her blog: www.kellimaine.blogspot.com, and on Facebook and Goodreads.

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Love and kisses Kelli. Thanks so much for helping us to celebrate our blogiversary in such an awesome way

There’s a fabulous giveaway for both blogs that’s happening over at SubClubBooks, so make sure you head over there and enter.

Tamie Xo